Housing for electrical connectors

ABSTRACT

An insulating housing for an electrical connector is formed by extruding plastics material to provide two housing parts connected together by a reduced cross-section part which forms a hinge extending in the extrusion direction so that the two housing parts are closable to embrace an electrical connector.

United States Patent 91 Podmore et al.

[ Apr. 10, 1973 HOUSING FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS [75] Inventors: Alan William Ronald Podmore, St. Albans; Ian Bruce Page, Hemel Hempstead, both of England [73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

[22] Filed: Apr. 1, 1970 21 App1.No.: 24,749

[52] US. Cl. ..339/210 M, 339/211 [51] Int. Cl. ..H01r 13/50 [58] Field of Search ..339/198, 196, 43,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,134,844 5/1964 Myers 174/94 X 3,332,053 7/1967 Busler ..339/210 R 3,388,370 6/1968 Elm ..339/98 3,399,374 8/1968 Pauza et a1. 3,500,292 3/1970 Enright et a1 ..339/97 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 233,059 3/196] Australia ..339/196R 688,848 6/1964 Canada ..339/208 Primary ExaminerMarvin A. Champion Assistant ExaminerRobert A. Hafer Att0rney-Curtis, Morris And Safford, William J. Keating, William l-lintze, Frederick W. Rating, John R. Hopkins, Adrian .1. La Rue and Jay L. Seitchik [57] ABSTRACT An insulating housing for an electrical connector is formed by extruding plastics material to provide two housing parts connected together by a reduced crosssection part which forms a hinge extending in the extrusion direction so that the two housing parts are closable to embrace an electrical connector.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures PAIL NIH] APR 1 01973 sum 1 OF 2 PATENTEUAPR 1 0191s sum 2 [1F- 2 1 HOUSING FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Electrical connectors connected, for example, by crimping to the ends of wires may be retained within cavities formed in a housing of electrically insulating material.

The housings may be made as single moldings of plastics material. The molds for such housings are, however, usually complicated and expensive to manufacture.

According to the invention an insulating housing for an electrical connector is formed by extruding plastics material to provide two housing parts connected together by a reduced cross-section part which forms a hinge extending in the extrusion direction so that the two housing parts are closable to embrace an electrical connector.

Preferably, a plurality of integrally formed housings are provided by a single extrusion, the housings initially being partially severed from one another to facilitate the housings being completely separated afterassembly of the connectors to the housings. The extrusion can thus be fed as a strip of housings to a machine for assembling electrical connectors to the housings.

Complementary tongues and grooves formed in the extrusion direction may be'provided in the housing parts, which tongues and grooves co-operate to retain the electrical connector in position within the housing.

A slot may be provided in the housing for receiving locking means on the electrical connector, which slot extends transversely of the extrusion direction. I

The housing may have a pair of spaced parallel ribs on a surface of the housing extending in the extrusion direction for aligning the housing with a mating hous- Preferably, a groove in one housingpart is provided for engagement with a locking member in the other housing part for locking the housing parts in their closed position.

An embodiment of the invention will now b described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an electrical connector- FIG. 5 is a cross-section on the lines V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section on the lines VI-Vl of FIG.

4; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a housing suitable for mating with a housing of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an extruded housing 1 for electrical connectors comprises a base part 3 and a cover part 5 integrally connected together by a flexible hinge part 7 of reduced cross-section extending in the direction of extrusion such that parts 3 and 5 can be moved from an open position shown in FIG. 1, to a closed position shown in FIG. 2, in which a locking member 13 on the cover part 5 engages within a corresponding groove 17 on the base part 3. Base part 3 and cover part 5 are both provided with a plurality of grooves 11 and tongues 9 extending in the direction of extrusion, which in the closed position of the housing define a plurality of cavities 19 for receiving the electrical connectors. Ribs 21 of substantially semi-circular section are provided on the under surface of the base part 3.

Housing 1 is of substantially constant cross-section as seen in FIG. 1 and is extruded and then saw cut to the required length.

FIG. 3 shows part of an extrusion with saw cuts 23 made transversely of the length of the extrusion. The saw cuts define front and rear faces 27 and 29 respectively of a housing and are made of such a depth that materialremains in the ribs 21 to connect adjacent housings together.

Atransverse slot is also provided in the housing 1 for retaining electrical contacts within the housing as will be described below.

The slot 25 is arranged adjacent the front face 27 of the housing 1.

An electrical tab connector 30 suitable for crimping to an end of a flat conductor of a flat conductor cable is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. Flat conductor cables consist of a plurality of parallel flat ribbon-like conductors arranged in side-by-side formation between sheets of insulating material. Thesheets are joined together along their longitudinal edges and between the conductors completely to insulate each conductor from its neighbor.

The ends of the conductors are usually provided with electrical connectors which have been crimped or in any other way connected to the ends of the conductors. As seen in FIG. 4, the connector 30 forms part of a strip of connectors arranged in head-to-tail formation. Each connector 30 has an electrical contact part in the form of a tab 32. Tab 32 is in the form of a strip of metal folded over-to form a double layer of material, the ends of; the fold abutting to form a seam 34 on the upper surface of the tab 32. The left hand end of the tab 32 (as seen in FIG. 4) is tapered and the lower layer 38 is connected to a slug 36 of material joining the connector 30 to the next adjacent connector 30 to the next adjacent connector 30 on the strip. The upper layer 40 of tab 32 at its right handend is bent at right angles to the upper surface of the tab 32 to form a locking means in the form of a retaining arm 42. The lower layer 38 at its right hand end has a reduced width and joins a ferrule base 44 having upstanding legs 46 on opposite sides. Insulation piercing tines 48 upstand from the base 44.

When a connector 30 is crimped to a flat conductor cable the edges of legs 46 are forced through the insulation of the cable on either side of the conductor, and are then bent inwardly towards each other to embrace the conductor.

At the same time, the tines 48 pierce the insulation and make contact with a surface of the conductor.

After a connector has been crimped to the end of each conductor of the conductor cable and the connectors have been separated from the strip, the connectors are ready for assembly within the housing 1. Each connector 30 is arranged in a groove 11 in, for example, the base part 3, with the retaining arm 42 located in the slot 25. The cover part 5 is then moved to the closed position of the housing 1 and member 13 engages within groove 17 to lock the connectors 30 within the housing 1. in this position, tabs 32 extend from the front face'27 of the housing.

FIG. 7 illustrates a molded connector housing 50 for housing receptacle connectors suitable for connection with the tab connectors 30. Housing 50 is made from insulating material and has a substantially rectangular body 56 having a mating face 52 for engaging the front face 27 of housing 1. Cavities (not shown) are provided extending through the body 56 of the housing, each cavity being adapted to receive a receptacle connector (not shown) for engaging with the tab connector 30. A pair of flexible latching members 58, 59 extend from the body 56, each latching member 58, 59 having at its free end an inwardly extending projection 60. Member 59 is equal in width to the width of the body 56 but member 58 is of less width than the width of the body 56, and extends between two guide members 62 which extend from the body 56 in the same direction as the latching members 58, 59.

When housing 1 and housing 50 are assembled together the ribs 21 on housing 1 are located in the guide members 62 and the housing 1 is pushed home between the latching members 58, 59 forcing the members 58 and 59 apart until the projections 60 engage the rear face 29 of the housing 1. In this position, front face 27 and mating face 52 engage each other. At the same time, tabs 32 of the tab connectors 30 engage with receptacle connectors (not shown) in housing 50.

The housing 1 may house receptacle connectors and not tab connectors as described above. The connectors may be of the type suitable for connection to conductor wire and not flat conductor cable.

We claim:

1. An insulating housing for an electrical connector, said housing comprising two mating parts, said parts being connected together by a reduced cross-section part forming a hinge, said hinge extending completely across said housing in a given direction, said two mating parts being of substantially constant cross-section throughout in a direction transverse to said given direction, whereby said housing is capable of being produced by an extrusion process, and a slot provided in the housing for receiving locking means on the electrical connector, which slot extends transversely of the given direction. 

1. An insulating housing for an electrical connector, said housing comprising two mating parts, said parts being connected together by a reduced cross-section part forming a hinge, said hinge extending completely across said housing in a given direction, said two mating parts being of substantially constant cross-section throughout in a direction transverse to said given direction, whereby said housing is capable of being produced by an extrusion process, and a slot provided in the housing for receiving locking means on the electrical connector, which slot extends transversely of the given direction. 